Fantastic Four 2
"The Fantastic Four Meet the Skrulls from Outer Space!" is the title to the main story from the second issue of the American superhero comic book series The Fantastic Four by Marvel Comics. The story was written by Stan Lee with pencils by Jack Kirby and inks by George Klein. The issue was colored by Stan Goldberg with John Duffy providing the lettering. The cover art illustration for this issue was composed by Jack Kirby, George Klein and Stan Goldberg. The story was edited by Stan Lee. This issue shipped with a January, 1962 cover date and carried a cover price of 12 cents per copy (US). Synopsis An alien race of shape-shifters known as the Skrulls come to Earth with the intent of conquering it. The first phase of their invasion begins in Central City, California and involves destabilizing the planet's premiere superhero team, the Fantastic Four. To facilitate this, they make themselves look like members of the group and commit various crimes to destroy the Fantastic Four's reputation. When the real Fantastic Four learn of this, they go into hiding and plot out a strategy to save their reputation. They encounter the Skrulls and team leader Reed Richards hypnotizes them, forcing them to shape-shift into ordinary Earth cows. The FF then pretend to be the Skrull agents in disguise and report back to the mother ship, warning the high commander that Earth is too dangerous to conquer and that they should leave. The Skrulls heed the warning and take off for outer space. On their way back to Earth, the Fantastic Four pass through another wave of cosmic rays, which turns the Thing back into his original human form. Appearances * Fantastic Four :* Mister Fantastic, Reed Richards :* Invisible Girl, Susan Storm :* Human Torch, Johnny Storm :* The Thing, Ben Grimm * Central City Police chief * Skrull captain * Mister Fantastic Skrull * Invisible Girl Skrull * Human Torch Skrull * The Thing Skrull * Central City jewelry store employees * Central City residents * Fantastic Four * Central City Police Department * United States Army * Humans * Mutated humans * Skrulls * California :* Central City, California * Texas * Cosmic rays * Daily Bugle newspaper * Daily Globe newspaper * Fantasti-Flare * Skrull space vessel * Skrull mother ship * Bio-conversion * Elasticity * Flight * Invisibility * Pyrokinesis * Shape-shifting * Superhuman strength Notes & Trivia * The story from this issue is divided into four chapters: :* Part 1: "The Fantastic Four Meet the Skrulls from Outer Space!" :* Part 2: "Prisoner of the Skrulls" :* Part 3: "The Fantastic Four Fight Back!" :* Part 4: "The Fantastic Four... Captured!" * Artie Simek provides the cover lettering for this issue. * This issue includes a Fantastic Four pin-up page illustrated by Jack Kirby and George Klein. * First appearance of the Skrulls. The Skrull race appear next in ''Fantastic Four'' #18. The Skrulls featured in this issue, forced to shape-shift into cows, appear again in ''Avengers'' #92. The ramifications of Reed leaving them in cow form results in a community that drinks Skrull milk as seen in ''Fantastic Four'', Volume 1 Annual #17. * This is the second appearance of the Fantasti-Flare. * This issue was released the same month as ''Tales to Astonish'' #27, which introduced the character of Hank Pym. Although it will still be a few months before he dons the helmet and tights of Ant-Man, Pym is the first stand-alone hero of the modern-era Age of Heroes. * The Skrull emperor responsible for sending the scouting party to Earth is later revealed to be Dorrek VII. Fantastic Four 18 * The Invisible Girl Skrull will later assume the form of H. Warren Craddock of the Alien Activities Commission, and become a major player in the "Kree-Skrull War" in the early 1970s. Recommended Reading See also External Links * * * * * * Fantastic Four #2 at the Fantastic Four Wiki References ---- Category:Fantastic Four Vol 1 Category:1962/Comic issues Category:January, 1962/Comic issues Category:Comic issues with plot summaries Category:Chronologized